In the situation of a cat 1 dieter (estimated 15% bf or below) and a cat 1 exerciser, looking to get leaner, is a 1 day refeed too much?

In other words, according to my estimation, Im about 134lbs of LBM and for a 1 day refeed, every 7 days, I would take in about 500-800 carbs in 12-24 hours.

I feel like this is a TON of carbs and calories in comparison to if I just had a free meal

But my other question is, when comparing a free meal to a refeed.

Lets say a days calories comes to 4200kcals including a free meal, coming from 160g Fat, 400g Carbs, and 290g of protein vs a controlled refeed that puts you at a total daily kcal intake of 4200kcals with 40g Fat, 160g Protein, and 800g Carbs.

It's not too much if you're legitimately in cat 1. Give it a go, start on the lower end of the recommendations if you're worried it's too much. Lyle wouldn't recommend them if they didn't have any benefit. Listen to what he says.

IIRC any fat you eat when you're overeating to that extent is going to get stored as fat straight away. It's best to keep fats as low as possible, besides trace fats from carbs that don't taste like cardboard.

The difference between the refeed and the free meal is the refeed generally won't make you regain any fat, will refill your muscle glycogen stores enough to get 1-2 good workouts in, and also allow you to regain some sanity.

You can do the huge free meal route, but be aware that you're going to have to subtract those extra ~2000 calories from your weekly total or you're just going to end up stunting your progress. Been there, done that. The deficit you have to make the rest of the week sucks, would not recommend.

That's not a problem with the refeed - just don't treat it like a diet day, forget the calorie intake. Think of it as a 6 day diet and one day of refuelling.

It's not too much if you're legitimately in cat 1. Give it a go, start on the lower end of the recommendations if you're worried it's too much. Lyle wouldn't recommend them if they didn't have any benefit. Listen to what he says.

IIRC any fat you eat when you're overeating to that extent is going to get stored as fat straight away. It's best to keep fats as low as possible, besides trace fats from carbs that don't taste like cardboard.

The difference between the refeed and the free meal is the refeed generally won't make you regain any fat, will refill your muscle glycogen stores enough to get 1-2 good workouts in, and also allow you to regain some sanity.

You can do the huge free meal route, but be aware that you're going to have to subtract those extra ~2000 calories from your weekly total or you're just going to end up stunting your progress. Been there, done that. The deficit you have to make the rest of the week sucks, would not recommend.

That's not a problem with the refeed - just don't treat it like a diet day, forget the calorie intake. Think of it as a 6 day diet and one day of refuelling.

Right. When reading the Guide To Flexible Dieting, it seems like i must have missed it because Im confused as to how many free meals and refeeds each diet cat gets. I know in RFL, cat 2 dieters get 1 free meal and 1 5 hour refeed vs a cat 1 who gets no free meal, but a UD2.0 style refeed at the end.

However I dont see a clear breakdown in a Guide to Flexible Dieting for the breakdown. Lyle mentions if you have two smaller refeeds, then you wouldnt have a free meal.

So in the context of a cat 1 dieter, would a smaller refeed (ex: 350g carbs) and a weekly free meal be okay?

It's not too much if you're legitimately in cat 1. Give it a go, start on the lower end of the recommendations if you're worried it's too much. Lyle wouldn't recommend them if they didn't have any benefit. Listen to what he says.

IIRC any fat you eat when you're overeating to that extent is going to get stored as fat straight away. It's best to keep fats as low as possible, besides trace fats from carbs that don't taste like cardboard.

The difference between the refeed and the free meal is the refeed generally won't make you regain any fat, will refill your muscle glycogen stores enough to get 1-2 good workouts in, and also allow you to regain some sanity.

You can do the huge free meal route, but be aware that you're going to have to subtract those extra ~2000 calories from your weekly total or you're just going to end up stunting your progress. Been there, done that. The deficit you have to make the rest of the week sucks, would not recommend.

That's not a problem with the refeed - just don't treat it like a diet day, forget the calorie intake. Think of it as a 6 day diet and one day of refuelling.

You mentioned the 4200 calorie day for your free meal. Assumed that was pretty big given you have 134lbs lbm. To me that's a big free meal. We're talking what, 1700+ cals over maintenance with normal activity? Assuming you're not running weekly ironmans. A free meal is supposed to be just a little something you wouldn't normally have, not all the things. If that works for you no problem though.

I'm sure it's somewhere in the book. Lyle says 1-2 free meals or refeeds a week, it's up to you. If the one of each helps you adhere, go for it.

You mentioned the 4200 calorie day for your free meal. Assumed that was pretty big given you have 134lbs lbm. To me that's a big free meal. We're talking what, 1700+ cals over maintenance with normal activity? Assuming you're not running weekly ironmans. A free meal is supposed to be just a little something you wouldn't normally have, not all the things. If that works for you no problem though.

I'm sure it's somewhere in the book. Lyle says 1-2 free meals or refeeds a week, it's up to you. If the one of each helps you adhere, go for it.

I see what youre saying.

I used the 4200 calories as an example to compare possible fat gain vs a 4200 calorie refeed day.

Usually, when I have free meals, my daily kcals probably come up just short of 3000kcals total, maybe 3200kcals.

However, I was shooting for 800 carbs Sunday per the guidelines in the Flexible Dieting book, and even with fat kept low, that set me at about 4200kcals, which is more than I would usually eat from a free meal day, except fat would be higher and carbs would be lower.

So in addition to a smaller refeed (350g carbs) midweek, I was asking about a free meal also, which would probably end up being a total of 3000-3200kcals for the entire day, maybe 1000kcals from normal diet food, and 2000 or so from dinner out and dessert maybe